District of



(.No Model.) l

A. J. COLLIER 8u P. M. MAY.

vCAB. FENDER.

No.`539,169. A Patented'May 14, 1895...V

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW J. COLLIER AND PHILIP M. MAY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA; SAID MAY ASSIGNOR OF HIS ENTIRE RIGHT AND SAID COL- Y LIER ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD OF HIS RIGHT, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO GEORGE P. DAVIS, OF SAME PLACE, AND WILLIAM B. DICKEY, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

CAR-FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 539,169, dated May 14, 1895. Application tiled September 1, 1894. Serial No. 521,905. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ANDREW J. COLLIER and PHILIP M. MAY, of Washington, District of Columbia, have linvented new and useful Improvements in Car-Fenders, of which the following is a full and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

Our invention relates to that class ot' fenro ders in which a trip mechanisml is employed to actuate the guard when said trip mechanism strikes or comes in contact with a body or other obstruction accidentally on the track.

Our invention consists first inthe combinar 5 tion with the independently operating guards or planks acting conjointly to close the entire space in front of and between the wheels, of a trip mechanism for throwing the guards into action and to permit the same to drop upon 2o the track or road bed in direct contact therewith, whereby to prevent any part or portion of the body or other obstruction from getting under the edge of the guard and consequently to prevent wedging and the riding of the car over the object.

It further consists in a novel construction and arrangement of guard planks and the manner of mounting the same whereby they shall move both outwardly and downwardly 3o with their edges to pass beyond the side guard planks when resting upon the track in position to remove an obstruction or body whereby to prevent the object or body from being injured by said guards or planks by being drawn 5 under the same.

It further consists in certain novel features Iin the construction and arrangement of parts all as hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is 4o a perspective view of the front portion of ka car-truck, showing our improvements applied. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same; Fig. 3, a perspective view of a modification in the form of a guard-plank, also showing the manner of mounting the same in its support.

The guard fender and devices for controlling the same as hereinafter described may be connected to any form of car in the present instance being shown applied to the platform of a motor car in which A represents 5o the platform; B, the journal boxes; C, the wheels; D, the side guards, and O the plank which extends in front of and between the wheels.

Connected to the under side of the platform at suitable points between the wheels are brackets G, provided with horizontally arranged openings h, extending through the same from end to end and from which brackets extend depending bearings h', h2, the one 6o h.',also"extending from the upper face of the bracket to pass through the platform.

The bearing h2, is slottedvertically either in one or both its sides and has mounted therein a sliding bolt h3. A rod h4, extends across 6 5 betweenthe brackets G, and passes through openings in the bolts h3, or otherwise rigidly connected therewith the rod passing through the slot or slots in thebearing serving to hold the bolt from turning therein. '7o

The bolt h3, is provided with an opening or perforation h5, extending through the same 'at right angles to the rod h4, and in the lower end of said bolt is formed an eye h6, from which depends a chain 71.7, hereinafter referred to.

The lower end of the bearing h', is closed and said bearing has mounted therein a spring K and the bolt K', which rests upon said spring and which bolt is provided at its upper 8o end with a head K2, havinga roughened face for adapting it to be actuated or pressed by the foot of the gripman or other operator. This vbolt is also provided with a horizontal perforation or opening It, also hereinafter described.

A bracket or bearing L, is connected to the lower face of the platform at a point between the bracketsG, and has mounted thereon an arm lever L. This lever at one end has con- 9o nected thereto a vertically arranged arm or foot piece L2, which extends through and has its bearings in the platform. The opposite portion of this lever is forked or bifurcated and is connected to the rod h4, and through it con- 9 5 nected to the bolt h3, and acts in such a manner that as the lever L', is depressed by the attendant the guards will be elevated and held by the engagement of the rods N,`here inafter referred to with the perforation in said bolt until tripped by the mechanism which will now be described.

Upon each side of the platform near the front thereof are connected depending hangers or bearings M, in which is mounted a swinging trip mechanism orcurtain M2. This trip mechanism er curtain is made of any dero sired material either metal or wood and may if preferred or found desirable be made of wire gauze with its central portion formed or of such configuration as to permit the free operation of the same without engagement r 5 with orobstruction from the couplings or other operating parts of the car. The lower end of this trip mechanism or curtain is preferably weighted to act to nominally hold the curtain in a vertical line as hereinafter explained. zo Connected tothe upper end of this curtain are rods N, which extend rearwardly from the same with their free ends passing into and having bearings in the brackets G, and in position to engage the bolt h3, and bolt K', before referred to.

The guard planks as before stated are shown as connected to the present ferm of planks O, new in use en cars which extend from the side guard planks and diverging forwardly 3o to and meeting at a point between the wheels.

The improved form of guard plank as hereiu shown consists of two plates er planks P, P', of any suitable material either wood or metal and are mounted in or connected to their supports O, in the following manner.

Connected rigidly or extending from the rear faces of the planks or plates are bolts P2 of a suitable length to pass through the supports O, and which bolts are provided with 4o suitably screw threaded ends for receiving nuts to hold the guard planks P, P' in proper relation to the supports O.

The supports or planks O, are provided with inclined slots having wearing surfaces O', near each end and through which slots the bolts P2, pass and are adapted to move freely.

The guard plank P', is made longer than the plank P, and is curved in form as shown at 19, to extend around the end of the Plank 5o P, and the arrangement of slots and length of planks P and P', are such that when raised the outer ends 192,293, will be drawn inward within the edges of the side guard planks and when depressed or resting on the track or road bed the outer edges will extend out beyond the side planks to carry or guide a body or other object beyond or out of reach of said side plank and to cause the inner ends to be brought closely together with the curved 6o end of the plank P', to rest and pass closely against and around the end of the plank P. The chains hl', are connected to the planks P, P', at points about centrally of the length thereof and through which chains and con- 6 5 necting devices before described the planks are elevated and held.

The bolt K', as also the arm or `lever L', with its operating arm or foot piece may either be arranged to be actuated at the front ofthe car by a motor man or extended backward to be actuated by a gripman en the ordinary form of grip car or arranged for its ready operation in accordance with the construction of car to which the device is to be applied.

The faces ofthe guard planks P, P', may be cushioned in any preferred manner to prevent injury to an obstructing body coming suddenly in contact therewith, and if found desirable the lower edges of the planks may be extended forward as shown in the ineditication Fig. 3.

The openings or perforations 7c, and h5, are located er arranged in the bolt K', and belt h3, so that when the planks are elevated to a proper height above the road bed or track and the foot piece or bolt K', depressed the weight of the curtain or trip will force the rods N, through said openings or perforatiens and consequently hold said planks elevated, the spring actuated bolt K', acting thereon to hold the rod with sufficient grip or force to prevent its accidental withdrawal from engagement with the bolts suspending the guard planks.

The operation of the device is as follows: As the car is propelled or travels over the road should any object or body accidentally fall or be thrown on the track the same will engage the curtain or trip causing said curtain to move or swing backward and the rod N, to be drawn forward first releasing the bolt h3, and afterward the bolt K', permitting the guard planks to drop down directly upon the track or road bed, the bolt K' acting to prevent the curtain from swinging downward until the device is reset.

It will be seen that the construction and arrangement of parts while permitting the elevation of the trip or curtain and the guard plank sufficiently above the track er road bed to pass over all immovable obstruction or unevenness of road bed acts to close the entire space in f ront of and between the wheels and to rest closely on said track or road bed when in action, and that the device is adapted to any form of car and is also adapted to be quickly applied er removed either in whole or part for repair or other purpose.

It will also be seen that the curtain being pivoted to swing no object can be wedged under the same to prevent its free movement to trip the guard planks.

It will also be seen that while the device is light and durable the same is inexpensive needing ne attention on the part of the gripman or motor man except to reset the device after being automatically tripped te remove an obstruction.

Having new described eur invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. ln a car fender the guard planks sup- IOO IIO

ported independently of each other, independent suspending mechanism for each of said planks, and a releasing mechanism provided with a single trip mechanism, substantially as described, whereby both planks may be engaged and released simultaneously as set forth.

2. In a car fender, the combination of the guard planks supported independently of each other acting conjointly to close the entire space in front of and between the wheels, independent suspending mechanism for each of said planks and a releasing mechanism provided'with a single trip mechanism, ar

ranged in advance of the planks for automatically and simultaneously tripping both planks, substantially as set forth.

3. In a car fender, the combination of the independent guard planks mounted to move in vertical planes to closethe space in front of and between the wheels, independent suspending mechanism for each of said planks, and a releasing mechanism provided with a single tip mechanism for actuating the releasing mechanism, substantially as set forth.

4. In a car fender the supports for the guard planks provided with the slots inclining toward the side rails, in combination with the guard planks provided with the rearwardly extending bolts to connect the guard planks with the said supports through the slots, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In a car fender the combination of the brackets or hangers, the bolts mounted therein, `the fenders exibly connected with the bolts', a rocking arm or lever connected to the bolt for raising the fenders, a curtain or trip, a reciprocating rod actuated by the fender to automatically engage and release the bolt, and a spring actuated tension device for engaging the rod substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a car fender the independently supported guard planks, the fixed supports thereforl provided with the inclined slots, one plank provided with the curved end, adapted to overlap the other plank substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands this 20th day of August, A. D. 1894.

ANDREW J. COLLIER. PHILIP M. MAY.

Witnesses:

WARREN C. STONE, ALEX. MAHON. 

